Apparatus for picking and placing workpiece

ABSTRACT

An exemplary apparatus capable of picking and placing a workpiece into a container includes a suction device and a hollow body. The suction device is configured for providing a suction force for picking up the workpiece. The hollow body has a picking portion configured for picking and placing the workpiece into the container under the suction force, wherein a plurality of air slots are defined in an outer wall of the hollow body, the air slots are configured for providing an air passage between an interior of the container and an exterior thereof so as to facilitate movement of the hollow body into and out of the container, whereby the workpiece can be steadily placed in the container.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to apparatuses for picking and placing workpieces, and more particularly, to an apparatus for picking and placing a workpiece under suction force.

BACKGROUND

During an assembly of a product or a semi-finished product, apparatuses for picking and placing workpieces of such products are widely used. In a typical apparatus of the related art, the apparatus includes a suction device and at least one hollow body coupled to the suction device. The hollow body may pick a workpiece at an end thereof under a suction force provided by the suction device, and then place the workpiece into a container for containing the workpiece. Generally, an internal breadth of the hollow body is a little smaller than an external breadth of the workpiece, thus allowing the workpiece to be picked precisely and steadily.

However, when the workpiece is, for example, an element of a lens module, such a workpiece is usually small and light, and the container which is a barrel is also small, therefore it is resulted that the internal breadth (diameter) of the hollow body is closely approximate to the external breadth of the workpiece, and an external breadth of the hollow body is closely approximate to an internal breadth of the barrel, such that when the hollow body picks the workpiece then moves into the barrel, air inside the barrel may thus be compressed thereby elevating an atmospheric pressure inside the barrel, such pressure imbalance makes it difficult to orient the workpiece precisely. As well as this, when the hollow body moves back after placing the workpiece, atmospheric pressure inside the barrel may drop immediately, this causes a pressure differential between the interior of the barrel and the exterior, and such a pressure differential may make the workpiece received in the barrel movable.

What is needed, therefore, is a device capable of picking and placing a workpiece into a container, which overcomes the above-mentioned problems.

SUMMARY

In a preferred embodiment, an exemplary apparatus capable of picking and placing a workpiece into a container includes a suction device and a hollow body. The suction device provides a suction force for picking up the workpiece. The hollow body has a picking portion for picking and placing the workpiece into the container under the suction force, wherein a plurality of air slots are defined in an outer wall of the hollow body, the air slots are configured for providing an air passage between an interior of the container and an exterior thereof so as to facilitate movement of the hollow body into and out of the container, whereby the workpiece can be steadily placed in the container.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the apparatus can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawing are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present apparatus. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an apparatus capable of picking and placing a workpiece into a container according to a preferred embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a second schematic view of a hollow body of the device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a third schematic view of a hollow body of the device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are schematic views of application of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 according to a preferred embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the present apparatus will now be described in detail below and with reference to the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary apparatus 100 according to a preferred embodiment includes an elongated hollow body 10 and a suction device 11, the suction device 11 is configured for providing a suction force to the hollow body 10.

The hollow body 10 may have an exterior shape conforming to an interior shape of a container which is configured for containing a workpiece, for example, the shape can be an isometric cylinder (see FIG. 1), a cylinder having a reducer (see FIG. 2), or a cylinder having a distortion (see FIG. 3). An internal breadth of the hollow body 10 can be equal to or a little smaller than an external breadth of the workpiece, and an external breadth of the hollow body 10 can be approximate to an internal breadth of the container. The hollow body 10 defines a first end 102, a second end 104 opposite to the first end 102 and a number of air slots 106 defined in an outer wall thereof. The first end 102 can function as a picking portion configured for picking and placing the workpiece into the container, preferably, a rubber ring 105 is mounted on the first end 102, the rubber ring 105 can help to contact with the workpiece tightly. The second end 102 is configured for coupling the suction device 11. The number of air slots 106 can be defined according to need, and a number of the air slots 106 are preferably distributed evenly in the outer wall of the hollow body 10. Each of the air slots 106 can extend from the first end 102 or a position near to the first end 102. Each of the air slots 106 can be parallel to or inclined to a lengthwise direction of the hollow body 10, and extends in a spiral around the outer wall of the hollow body 10. A breadth of each of the air slots 106 is preferably 1/15˜ 1/30 of that of the hollow body 10, and a depth of each of the air slots 106 is ⅕˜⅓ of the wall thickness of the hollow body 10.

The suction device 11 can be a vacuum pump. The suction device 11 pumps out a certain volume of air from inside the hollow body 10 (i.e., depressurizes the inside of the hollow body 10) thereby providing a suction force for the hollow body 10, such that the hollow body 10 can pick the workpiece at the first end 102. When the first end 102 moves to the container, the suction device 11 introduces a certain volume of air to the inside of the hollow body 10 (i.e., partially repressurizes the inside of the hollow body 10), such that the first end 102 can place the workpiece in the container.

Referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the apparatus 100 is used for assembling a first workpiece 20 and a second workpiece 30 of a lens module into a container 40 according to a preferred embodiment. The apparatus 100 can be integrally formed with an apparatus for assembling lens modules, which may have other members, for example, trays for carrying the workpieces 20, 30 and the containers 40, belts for conveying the trays, motors for driving the apparatus 100 and so on. In the present preferred embodiment, the hollow body 10 is an isometric pipe, an internal diameter of the hollow body 10 can be equal to or a little smaller than an external size of the workpiece 20, 30, and an external diameter of the hollow body 10 can be approximate to an internal diameter of the container 40; the container 40 is a barrel having a bottom opening 41.

Firstly, the hollow body 10 picks the first workpiece 20 at the first end 102 under the suction force provided by the suction device 11, moves into a bottom position of the container 40 (air inside the container 40 can escape through the bottom opening 41 thereof or through the air slots 106) and places the workpiece 20 in the bottom position. Then the hollow body 10 moves back, during this movement of the hollow body 10, air outside can enter into the container 40 through the air slots 106 at the same time thereby balancing atmospheric pressure between an interior of the container 40 and an exterior, this facilitating the hollow body 10 easily moving out of the container 40 and the workpiece 20 can be received steadily in the container 40.

Secondly, the hollow body 10 picks the second workpiece 30 at the first end 102 under the suction force provided by the suction device 11, and moves to the container 40 and places the workpiece 30 in position, then the hollow body 10 moves back. During the movement of the hollow body 10 into the container 40, air inside the container 40 can escape through the air slots 106, this facilitating the hollow body 10 easily moving into the container 40; and during the movement of the hollow body 10 out of the container 40, air outside can reflow into the container 40 through the air slots 106 at the same time thereby balancing an atmospheric pressure between the interior of the container 40 and the exterior, such that the workpiece 20, 30 can be received steadily in the container 40.

It is understood that the apparatus 100 is not limited to assembling lens modules, and can be applied in other apparatuses for precisely and steadily placing small and light workpiece into a container.

It is understood that the above-described embodiment are intended to illustrate rather than limit the invention. Variations may be made to the embodiments and methods without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the invention. 

1. An apparatus capable of picking and placing a workpiece into a container, comprising: a suction device for providing a suction force for picking up the workpiece; a hollow body coupled to the suction device, the hollow body having a picking portion for picking and placing the workpiece into the container under the suction force; a plurality of air slots defined in an outer wall of the hollow body, the air slots being configured for providing an air passage between an interior of the container and an exterior thereof so as to facilitate movement of the hollow body into and out of the container, whereby the workpiece can be steadily placed in the container.
 2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the suction device is a vacuum pump.
 3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hollow body has an exterior shape conforming to an interior shape of the container and an external breadth approximate to an internal breadth of the container.
 4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hollow body is an elongated isometric pipe.
 5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the picking portion has a rubber ring mounted thereon, the rubber ring is configured for contacting with the workpiece.
 6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the air slots extends from the picking portion.
 7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the air slots is parallel to or inclined to a lengthwise direction of the hollow body.
 8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the air slots extends in a spiral around the outer wall of the hollow body.
 9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the air slots are distributed evenly in the outer wall of the hollow body. 